Side bearing



April 15, 1958 E. H. BLATTNER SIDE BEARING Filed June 16, 1948 R 7 WW fl h a m A M m Q1 J J I J/4 2 A a a9 a 12 Z61?? E r 7 z w 6 2 5 Z United States PatentO s ns BEARING Emil H. Blattner, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to The Symington-Gould Corporation, Rochester, N. 1., a corporation of Maryland Application June 16, 1948, Serial No. 33,302 Claims. (Cl. 308-138) This invention pertains to a side bearing particularly of the resilient type and arranged for use as a component of a railway truck.

An object of the invention is to provide, in aside bearing, a cap urged outwardly of a' housing and into frictional engagement with the housing by use of spring means extending in but one direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in an improved side bearing, temporary means for retaining the components of the side bearing in an assembled relation during storing or shipping thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in an improved side bearing, a combination of components which will permit adjustments to be made in the side bearing while it remains in assembled relation with a railway truck and car body.

The above and numerous other objects of the invention will become apparent from the succeeding description considered together 'with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a partial plan and partial horizontal sectional view of a side bearing embodying the present in vention.

Figure 2 is a partial elevational and partial vertical sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is' a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 33 ofFigure l, looking'in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts, the numeral 1 is employed to designate, in a somewhat general manner, a side bearing of the resilient type and arranged to be interposed between a railway truck bolster, a surface 2 of which is indicated diagammatically, and a railway car body bolster or body side bearing, a surface 3 thereof being indicated diagrammatically only in Figure 2 of the drawings. The structure of the present invention belongs to the same art as does my Patent No. 2,259,608, granted October 21, 1941, since they both are employed as resilient elements to check or control the action of the surfaces 2 and 3 as the latter tend to move toward for away from one another during service.

The side bearing is formed in part by a housing or casing 4 which comprises a base'S arranged in a flat or horizontal manner so as to bear upon the truck bolster adjacent an end thereof. Since the side bearing is subjected to severe strains during service as will be hereinafter brought out, the housing is firmly secured to the truck bolster through the medium of rivets (not shown) which extend through the rivet holes 50. The housing, if desired, may be made as an integral part of the bolster. However, it is, at the present writing preferred to form the housing as a separate component and removably secure it to the truck bolster to the above stated extent. Upstanding frornthe base are a plurality of connected or joined walls characterized by two transversely spaced sidewalls 6'and' twolon'gitudinally spaced end Walls 7 2,830,857 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 ice with all the walls being formed preferably of the same height.

Disposed within the confines of the housing is a spring or bed plate 8 having a lower surface 9 arranged to bear downwardly toward the housing base. While the housing base plate within the confines or area defined by the side and end walls may, if desired be entirely omitted so that the spring plate will then be supported by the truck bolster, it is preferred, at the present writing, to cast or form the base of the housing without any interruptions therein except for the rivet holes. As will be apparent from a review of the'drawings forming a part hereof, the spring plate is insertable into and removable from the housing through the upper opening defined by the walls and since it is of slightly less overall dimensions than 7 this clear opening into the housing it is securely confined therein.

Arranged to form a component part of the side bearing is a cap, shoe or top member 10 also preferably of cast form and of hollow construction. The cap has an upwardly facing surface 11 which bears at all times directly against the related body bolster surface or body side bearing 3 so that as the truck pivot-s about its axis during service the surfaces 11 and 3 will move relative to one another and create frictional forces to retard or control such pivotal truck action. Since the shoe is of hollow construction it is formed with inner and outer walls 12 and 13 joined at or adjacent to their ends by terminal walls 14, with preferably all shoe walls being of the same height for the purpose to be hereinafter made apparent.

As previously stated the side bearing is of the resilient type so that any movement of the bolster surfaces 2 and 3 toward one another will be cushioned to control car body roll as will be understood clearly by those skilled in this particular art. To further this feature of the side bearing there is provided a pair of resilient elements or yieldable means 15 capable of giving or yielding under a load in excess of a predetermined value. The resilient elements may be of any desired character and preferred at the present writing is a pair of double coil springs 16 under initial compression and acting in a somewhat vertical direction to maintain the cap or shoe in an elevated position. Each truck bolster, as will be understood, has as components thereof and adjacent ends thereof, a pair of such side bearings so that they are poised to cushion a car body roll to either side of the car. Accordingly, it

is deemed necessary to provide only for a compressive cushioning action of each side bearing because as one side bearing of a related pair is expanding its mate is contracting or diminishing in effective height.

While this side bearing is of the resilient type it may :be further classified as being one of the snubbed type. That is to say frictional forces are created on certain surfaces of the side bearing to dampen or control any harmonic action or actions which, during service, may be created or set up in the coil springs and thereby further retard, check or control a roll or rolls of the car body. Accordingly the cap outer wall 13 is arranged to contact or be urged outwardly against the housing side wall 6:: at all times so that any compressive or expansive action of the coil springs will result in frictional forces being created on contiguous surfaces of the walls 13 and 6a. Other components than those illustrated in the accompanying drawings may be introduced to cause the walls 13 and 6a to remain in constant frictional engagement. However, it is preferred at the present writing to arrange the coil springs to perform this added function. Accordingly, as will be noted, the bed plate and cap are provided with spaced spring seats 17 inclined with respect to the horizontal so as to form an oblique angle therewith. The spring seats are desirably parallel and disposed adjacent the ends of the cap and bed plate. With the spring seats thus inclined or tilted the coil springs are arranged to bear at their opposite ends against aligned spring seats and thus the coil springs are tilted or disposed at an angle to the true vertical. The coil springs lean toward the outer cap wall so that they at all times urge the cap outer wall horizontally toward the housing side wall 6a and at the same time act as vertical supports for the cap or shoe. Since the springs are disposed at the inclination above described the bed plate will be also urged horizontally and to avoid a shifting action of the bed plate the latter is formed with a vertical inner surface 18 arranged to bear against the housing wall 611 (see Figure 3).

It will be now noted that the movement of the bolster surfaces toward one another should be limited to a predetermined distance and this distance is determinative of the permissible compressive movement of the side bearing. In order to maintain or preserve this predetermined movement between the bolster surfaces 2 and 3 the lower extremities of the cap walls are terminated an equal distance above the bed plate so that the cap may only move through a range equal to the permitted range of movement between the bolster surfaces. To increase the bearing area between the cap and bed plate, the cap outer wall has an internal flange 19.

It has been found in actual practice that it is almost impossible to form bolsters either of cast or fabricated form and preserve or establish, without the introduction of additional media, a predetermined distance between the surfaces 2 and '3. Accordingly, this side bearing is provided with a shim or shims 20 which are insertable within the housing beneath the bed plate to thus establish the permissive compressive action of the side bearing. These shims may be insertable in the housing through its clear opening between the walls thereof prior to the introduction of the bed plate thereinto. However, additional provisions have been made for introducing the shims into the housing. Toward the accomplishment of applying or removing the shims each housing end wall 7 is formed, adjacent to its juncture with the base plate, with an aperture, slot or opening 21 extending for substantially the full width of the end wall to be thus made slightly longer than the width of the shims. Each slot is preferably of shallow height but of sufficient height to allow the insertion of additional shims beneath the bed plate. Any means might be employed to maintain the shims in supporting relation to the bed plate but it is preferred to have the housing base formed integrally with posts, obstructions or pillars 22 spaced from the related end walls and disposed in an extended horizontal plane of the shims. Thus the posts will keep the shims in a predetermined position and it will not be necessary to first raise the bed plate for the introduction of additional shims.

Some consideration should be given to a temporary measure for maintaining the side bearing in assembled relation if or when the side bearing is shipped as an individual component from a source of supply to the ultimate user. As stated, this need be only a temporary measure because, once mounted between bolsters it need not have any retaining means since the bolsters prevent it from expanding beyond a predetermined amount. T oward the fulfillment of this feature just discussed the side walls of the housing are provided with aligned openings 23 positioned intermediate the height thereof and between the pair of coil springs. In substantial alignment with these openings there are formed openings 24 in the inner and outer walls of the cap and extending transversely of the side bearing through all of the openings is a pin or rod 25, the latter of which temporarily locks the shoe to the housing. After the side bearing is mounted on a truck bolster, beneath a body bolster the pin is then removed and the side bearing is then in condition for service.

From the above it will be observed that various changes and alterations may be made to the accompanying drawings and the description thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing having a base and walls, one of said walls having an opening therein adjacent said base, a shim insertable within said housing through said opening, means upstanding from said base in spaced relation to said wall opening for preventing an accidental displacement of said shim, a bed plate on said shim within said housing, an inclined spring seat on said bed plate, a cap extending above and within said housing and having an inclined spring seat, and an inclined spring bearing against said spring seats; said spring being arranged to urge said cap outwardly of said housing and into frictional engagement with one of said walls thereof.

2. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing having a base and walls, one of said walls having an opening therein adjacent said base, a shim insertable within said housing through said opening, means upstanding from said base in spaced relation to said wall opening for preventing an accidental displacement of said shim, a bed plate within said housing and bearing upon saidshim, a cap extending upwardly above said housing and spaced above said bed plate, and spring means extending in one direction and acting between said bed plate and cap; said spring means being arranged to urge said cap outwardly of said housing and into frictional engagement with one of said walls.

3. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing having a base and walls, one of said walls having an opening therein adjacent said base, a shim insertable within said housing through said opening, means upstanding from said base in spaced relation to said wall opening for preventing an accidental displacement of said shim, a bed plate within said housing and bearing upon said shim, a cap extending upwardly above said housing and spaced above said bed plate, and spring means extending in one direction and acting between said bed plate and cap; said spring means being arranged to urge said cap vertically and said cap and bed plate in opposite horizontal directions into engagement with said housing.

4. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a

housing having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, one of said walls having a slot therein adjacent said base, abutment means upstanding from said base in spaced relation to said slot, a shim insertable through said slot and arranged to be positioned within the vertical limits of said abutment, a plate Within said housing bearing upon said shim, a cap extending upwardly above said from, a shim within said housing, a bed plate bearing upon.-

said shim, a cap extending upwardly above said housing and spaced above said bed plate, and inclined spring meansbetween said plate and cap for urging said cap vertically away from said housing and horizontally into frictional engagement with one of said walls.

6. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing member having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, a bed plate member within said housing member, an inclined spring seat on said bed plate men.- ber, a cap extending upwardly above said housing and positioned above said bed plate member and having an inclined spring seat substantially parallel with but spaced above said first named spring seat, and an inclined spring having opposite ends thereof bearing against said spring seats for urging said cap vertically from said housing member and into frictional contact with one of said walls.

7. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing member having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, a bed plate member within said housing, a cap above said bed plate member and having depending joined walls lapping said walls of said housing member, and a spring acting between said bed plate member and cap for urging said cap vertically away from said housing member and horizontally into frictional engagement with one of said walls, said cap being arranged to contact one of said members for limiting a compressive movement of said side bearing.

8. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, a bed plate within said housing and in bearing relation with one of said Walls, horizontally spaced inclined seats on said bed plate, a cap within and arranged for movement relative to said housing, said cap extending upwardly above said housing, horizontally spaced inclined seats on said cap facing said first named spring seats, a pair of coil springs inclined and bearing against related seats for urging said cap outwardly of said housing and into frictional contact with one of said walls, and horizontally aligned openings in said cap and housing for the reception of a pin for temporarily locking said cap to said housing.

9. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing member having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, a bed plate member within said housing member, an inclined spring seat on said bed plate memher, a cap extending upwardly above said housing and positioned above said plate member and having an inclined spring seat, and an inclined spring bearing against said spring seats for urging said cap vertically from said housing member and into frictional contact with one of said walls, said cap being contactable with one of said members for limiting a compressive movement of said side bearing.

10. In a resilient side bearing, the combination of, a housing member having a base and joined walls upstanding therefrom, a bed plate member within said housing member, an integral cap within said housing member and normally spaced above said bed plate member, opposed spring seats facing one another on said bed plate member and cap, and a coil spring interposed between and engaging said spring seats and covered by said cap for urging said cap outwardly of said housing member and into frictional engagement with one of said walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Blattner July 18, 1950 

